Liverpool are hopeful of closing a loan deal for Valencia left-back Aly Cissokho. The Reds would pay an initial loan fee of around £850,000 for the 25-year-old with an agreement to pay a further £3.5m to buy the player outright next summer.

OTHER GOSSIP

Manager Jose Mourinho says he is considering leaving Fernando Torres, 29, and Juan Mata, 25, out of Chelsea's first league game against Hull City because he believes they will be too exhausted following an international friendly for Spain on 14 August.